1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device wherein a wafer is divided into a plurality of laser bars, and the laser bars are divided into individual semiconductor chips; more respectively to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device that can improve the manufacturing efficiency thereof.
2. Background Art
When a wafer is divided into individual semiconductor chips, grooves for dividing are previously formed on the wafer, and cleaving or the like is performed. For forming the grooves, needle scribing, laser scribing, or the like is used. For example, since a shrunk chip, which has become small due to shrinkage, is difficult to split, the chips are more difficult to be divided than before shrinking. In order to facilitate dividing, deep grooves are required. However, since there is a limit in needle scribing, and laser scribing generates debris, a problem wherein considerably deep grooves cannot be formed is caused.
To solve such a problem, there has been proposed a method wherein a groove is formed in a wafer, and break lines are formed by laser irradiation in the groove (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-177137).